Drop door for dumping cars



April 14, 1925.

- W.- R. BROUT DROP DOOR FOR D UMPING CARS Filed July 1 1924 2 Sheets-Shoot 1 April 14, 1925. 1,533,571

' W. R. PROUT I DROP noon FOR DUMPING CARS Filed July 1 1924 2 Sheets-Shoot 2 abtozweq AZ 0 Patented Apr. 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM R. PROUT, 0F ELRAMA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DROP DOOR FOR DUMPING CARS.

Application filed July 1, 1924. Serial No. 723,558.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lViLLIAM R. PRoU'r, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elrama, in the county of lVashington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Drop Doors for Dumping Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

"This invention relates to certain improvements in drop doors for dumping cars and it is an object of the invention to provide novel and improved means whereby the doors may be effectively maintained in closed position yet readily released as desired from one side of the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of this general character with novel and improved means whereby a bar is employed for maintaining the doors in closed position together with means associated with said bar for holdingthe same against displacement or in an inoperative position.

The invention consists in the details of con struction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts of my improved drop door for dumping cars where by certain important advantages are attained and the device rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise more convenient and advantageous for use, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

The novel features of my invention will hereinafter be definitely claimed.

In order that my invention may be the better understood, I. will now proceed to describe the same with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a fragmentary view in front elevation illustrating drop doors constructed in accordance with an embodiment of my invention and in closed position;

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 but showing the doors in dropped or open position;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a transverse sectional view taken through the structure as illustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 5 is a view in bottom plan of the structure as illustrated in Figures 1 and 4;

slidably disposed a holding bar 8.

moved in one direction an'end portion of Figure 6 is a fragmentary View in sideelevation opposite to that of Figure 1.

As disclosed in the accompanying drawings, B denotes a car body of a hopper type and which has associated therewith the drop doors D, said doors being hingedly connected at their outer-ends with the body B at a point in intermediate proximity to the side walls 2 of said body so that said doors when moved into closed position swing in-' wardly and upwardly of the body.

. The lower portions of the front and rear walls 3 and 4 of the body Bare connected by the cross or reinforcing member 5 herein disclosed as in the form of an inverted V in cross section. y I

The outer free marginal portion of each of the doors has disposed therealonga channel member 6 and arranged within one of said. members 6 and spaced longitudinally thereof are the loops 7 throughwhich is hen the bar 8 extends through the opening 9 provided in the lower portion of an arm 10 dep'endingfrom the wall 4 and also through I an opening 11 provided in the outer endportion of an arm 12 carried by the second door D. By thismeans both of the doors are effectively locked or held in closed position. The arm 12, as herein disclosed, is substantially L-shaped in form with the foot portion a. thereof arranged outwardly of the arm 10 when the door carrying said arm 12 is in'closed position.

The opposite end portion of the bar 8 is provided with a head or enlargement 14 which operates to limit the movement of the bar 8 when moved for locking engagement with the arms 10 and 12 and said bar 8 outwardly of the head or enlargement 14 is angularly disposed to provide an operating member or handle 15.

The end portion of the channel member 6 carried by the second door D and adjacent to the handle 15 has freely engaged therewith a link or loop member 16 which, when the doors D are in closed position and the bar 8 has been operatively engaged with the arms 10 and 12, is adapted to be engaged over the bar 8 outwardly of the head or enlargement 14 whereby the doors D are further supported in closed position. This engagement of the link or loop member 16 is ad ly ac ompli hed. y swinging the handle toward the second door D. After the link or loop member 16 has been engaged with the bar, a second link or loop member 17 is engaged over said bar 8 outwardly of the link or loop member 16, said link or loop member 17 being freely engaged, as at 18, with the front wall 3 of the body B. Freely movable along the link or loop member 17 is a slide 19 which is adapted to be positioned inwardly of the handle member 15 when the link or loop member 17 is in applied or working position.

In view of the foregoing it is thought to be obvious that when it is desired to drop the doors D it is only necessary to release from the bar 8 the links or loop members 16-and 17 and to impart slight outward ,pull upon the bar 8 whereupon the doors I) will readily drop. The manner in which the doors may be returned to closed position forms no part of the present invention and any means for accomplishing this purpose may be employed.

From the foregoing description it is thought to be obvious that a drop door for dumping cars constructed in accordance with my invention is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the convenience and facility with which it may be assembled and operated, and it will also be obvious that my invention is susceptible of some change and modification without departing from the principles and spirit thereof and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise arrangement and formation of the several parts herein shown in carrying'out my invention in practice except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1'. In a dumping car, in combination with the body, dropping doors therefor, a slidable bar carried by one of the doors and having an end portion operatively engageable, upon movement in one direction, with the second door and a wall of the body to hold the doors in closed position, and means coacting with the ,bar .and the opposite wall of the body to hold the doors in closed position.

2. In a dumping car, in combination with the body, dropping doors therefor, an arm depending from a wall of the body, an arm carried by a door overlying the arm of the body when said door is in closed position, a bar slidably supported by the second door and engageable with the arms of the body and of the first named door for holding said doors in closed position, and means 00- acting with the bar and the opposite wall of the body for holding the doors in closed position.

3. In a dumping car, in combination with the body, dropping doorstherefor, a slidable bar carried by one of the vdoors and having an end portion operatively engageable, upon movement in one direction, with the second door and the wall of the body to hold the doors in closed position, a link carried by the first named door'engageable with theopposite end portion of the bar, and a link carried by the opposite wall of the body and engageable with said bar, said links operating to further hold the doors in closed position. a

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature.

WILLIAM .R. PROUT. 

